Approaches of Russia and NATO on problems of missile defense remain opposite, but the parties agreed to hold consultations on this issue, the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov declared.

NATO is hoping to build real strategic partnership with Russia in the coming years, the alliance’s Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said during a session of the Russia-NATO Council in Brussels on Tuesday.

The participants will approve a joint action plan for 2013. Russia has made clear it wants partnership with NATO to be based on the principles of the indivisibility of the Euro-Atlantic security, an approach shared by Rasmussen. He hailed cooperation with Russia on Afghanistan as well as on anti-terror and anti-drug struggle.

Russia’s stance on a possible interaction on missile defense will be presented during a session of the Russia-NATO Council scheduled for December 4 in Brussels.

A statement to this effect was made by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Alexander Lukashevich in Moscow on Monday.

He recalled that Moscow wants clear-cut guarantees that the planned [US] missile shield will not damage Russia’s strategic potential.

He added that such guarantees should be based on objective criteria which will enable them to assess the missile defense system’s compliance with its announced aim of fending off missile threats from countries situated outside Europe.

The Foreign Ministers’ meetings which are due to take place in Brussels next week are to fill Russia-NATO relations with new energy, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu told reporters in Brussels Friday.

Her speech was followed by a top-notch NATO official who said that on Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov and his counterparts will have a frank dialogue about such sensitive issues as Turkey’s deployment of Patriot missiles, Georgia and NATO anti-missile system.

The official has also welcomed Russia’s assistance in providing transit of NATO cargo to Afghanistan and efforts to fight terrorism and piracy.

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